Ambasada Rzeczpospolitej w Moskwie i Kujbyszewie (ZSRR) (A.7): Polish Embassy in Moscow and Kuybyshev (USSR) RG-59.032

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Washington, DC 20024-2126 Tel. (202) 479-9717 Email: [email protected]

Descriptive Summary

Title: Ambasada Rzeczpospolitej w Moskwie i Kujbyszewie (ZSRR) (A.7): Polish Embassy in Moscow and Kuybyshev (USSR)

Dates: 1941-1943

RG Number: RG-59.032

Accession Number: 2010.277

Creator: Rzeczpospolita Polska (Government-in-exile)

Extent: 598 digital images: PDF; .25 GB; 5 digital files: PDF; .24 GB.

Repository: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2126

Languages: English and Polish.

Administrative Information

Access: No restrictions on access.

Reproduction and Use: Fair use only. The Cooperative Agreement does not clarify restrictions.

Preferred Citation: [file name/number], [reel number], RG-59.032, Ambasada Rzeczpospolitej w Moskwie i Kujbyszewie (ZSRR) (A.7): Polish Embassy in Moscow and Kuybyshev (USSR), United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, Washington, DC.

Acquisition Information: Purchased from the Instytut Polski i Muzeum im. Gen. Sikorskiego.

Custodial History

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Existence and location of originals: The original records are held by the Instytut Polski i Muzeum im. Gen. Sikorskiego, 20 Princes Gate, London SW7 1 PT, United Kingdom. Tel. 011 44 20 75 89 92 49. More information about this repository can be found at www.sikorskimuseum.co.uk.

Processing History: Aleksandra B. Borecka

Biographical Note Tadeusz Romer (born December 6, 1894 in Antonosz near Kaunas - March 23, 1978 in Montreal) was a Polish diplomat and politician. He was a personal secretary to in 1919. Later he joined the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served as Polish ambassador to Italy, Portugal, Japan (1937-1941) and the Soviet Union (1942-1943). Then he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Polish Government in Exile (1943-1944). After the war he settled in Canada, where he lectured at the McGill University.From August 1940 to November 1941, he had managed to get transit visas in Japan, asylum visas to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Burma, immigration certificates to Palestine, and immigrant visas to the United States and some Latin American countries for two thousand Polish-Lithuanian Jewish refugees, who arrived into , Japan, and Ghetto, China. Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na uchodźstwie (Government of the Republic of in Exile) was established after Germany and the Soviet Union occupied Poland in September 1939. The Polish government-in-exile was first based in France, but moved to London after the French army surrendered to the Germans in mid-1940. The Allies accepted the government-in-exile as the legitimate representative of the Polish people soon after it was created. The government-in-exile allied itself with the West, as its members believed that only a total military victory over Germany would restore Poland's independence and freedom. In addition, it amassed its own land, air, and naval forces. In 1942 reports about the mass murder of Jews in Poland reached London; at that point, the Polish government-in-exile made several public declarations on the subject, and officially demanded that the Allied powers stop the Germans from continuing on their murderous crusade. In early 1943 the Polish government-in-exile begged Pope Pius XII to condemn the Nazis' actions. From December 1942 onward, the government-in-exile backed the rescue work of Zegota, which offered aid to Jews throughout occupied Poland. New Polish government established after Germany and the Soviet Union occupied Poland in September 1939. The Polish government-in- exile was first based in France, but moved to London after the French army surrendered to the Germans in mid-1940. The Allies accepted the government-in-exile as the legitimate representative of the Polish people soon after it was created. The government-in-exile allied itself with the West, as its members believed that only a total military victory over Germany would restore Poland's independence and freedom. In addition, it amassed its own land, air, and naval forces.

Scope and Content of Collection Contains selected records of the Polish Embassy of the Polish government-in-exile. The collection comprises records of activities of the Embassy of the Polish Republic in Moscow (and Kuybyshev after November 1941) from September 1941 through May 1943. The majority of files date from the tenure of Ambassador Stanisław Kot (1 Sept 1941- 13 Jun 1942), and the rest from the tenure of Dr. Tadeusz Romer (12 Oct 1942 - 5 May 1943). Documents include coded telegrams, reports and dispatches, instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the ambassadors, documents of the representatives of the Polish Embassy in various parts of the

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USSR, personnel files of the Embassy’s delegates, statistical data and reports of the Embassy concerning welfare aid to the civilian population, particularly to the families of servicemen. Additionally, selected records of relations between Soviet authorities and particular nationalities, regional populations of Polish citizens the USSR, populations of Polish children and orphans in the USSR, activities of the care institutions of the Embassy, help and care over the Jews in USSR for the period of 1941-1943 are included.

System of Arrangement This collection is arranged thematically.

Indexing Terms Kot, Stanisław, 1885-1975. Romer, Tadeusz, 1894-1978. Rzeczpospolita Polska (Government-in-exiles) Delegatura Rządu Rzevzypospolitej Polskiej na Kraj. World War, 1939-1945 -- Governments in exile -- Sources. Diplomatic and consular service, Polish -- Russia. Jews -- Poland -- Politics and government. Poland -- History -- Occupation, 1939-1945. Moscow (Russia) Kuĭbyshev (Novosibirskaia︠︡ oblastʹ, Russia)

References Guide to the Archives of the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, vol. I, compiled and edited by: Waclaw Milewski, Andrzej Suchcitz and Andrzej Gorczycki, Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, London 1985

CONTAINER LIST

Original description: Selected records of the Polish Embassy of the Polish Government on Exile, the Ambassadors were: Stanisław Kot and Tadeusz Romer. The collection comprises the documents from the times of the activities of the Embassy of the Polish Republic in Moscow (and Kuybyshev, sine Nov. 1941) from September 1941 through May 193. It’s the remnant documentation as the essential archives are in the Hoover Institution holdings. The majority of files date from the terms of the Ambassador Stanisław Kot (Sept. 1, 1941-June 13, 1942), the rest from the terms of Dr. Tadeusz Romer (Oct. 12, 1942-May 05, 1943). The activities of that post of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is untypical, both in the scope of the state office and because of its administration. Almost from the initial period the works were performed in the hostile atmosphere of the authorities of Soviet Russia and later on its activities grew obstructed. From the very beginning the organization of administrative works went on during the Soviet-German war and the chaos, mainly in transport, that resulted from it, additionally affected and complicated the work basically focused on releasing as many Poles as possible from the Soviet camps and prisons. The network of posts in 20

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provinces (“oblast’) set up by the Embassy with utmost difficulty fully illustrates giant labors and obstacles connected with those efforts.

Characteristic features of the documentation: I. Dispatches are the essential part of the collection – to and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic posts in Teheran, Cairo, Beirut, Ankara, etc., instructions. II. Organization and activities of posts. Lists of delegates, their correspondence with civilians and the embassy, reports from their activities. III. Financial matters, allowances for the families of soldiers, organization of social care institutions, helping schools, orphanages and the like. Financial settlements, budgets. IV. Collective and individual interventions conc. the lack of observance of the agreement provisions conc. releasing Polish citizens who wanted to join the Polish Army by the Soviet party. V. Arresting of the staff of post and the problems of releasing them of imprisonment. VI. Detailed studies illustrating the activities of the Embassy conducted after the evacuation and on the territory of Middle East. They contain valuable approach and detailed description of a/m questions.

A.7.262 / 1 The Ambassador Stanisław Kotan’s notes conc. the relationship of Soviet authorities towards particular nationalities – Polish citizens and their participation in the Polish Army (a lot about Jews), Jan. 05, 1942. The file includes 3 pages.

A.7.307 / 30 The geographic distribution of Polish citizens in particular regions of the USSR for April 25, 1943 (the date of breaking off of diplomatic relations with the USSR). The data is not precise due to various reasons (constant migration of people, displacement, inexact information from delegates and the like). Total number of Polish citizens: 271,325 people. The file includes 70 pages.

A.7.307 / 33 The list of the number and geographic distribution of the children and orphans of the Polish citizens in the USSR for April 25, 1943. Total number of children 76,457, including 6,075 orphans. The file includes 38 pages.

A.7. 307 / 34 The report of the activity of the Social Care institutions of the Polish Embassy in the USSR, Nov. 1, 1941-Feb. 15, 1943. The file includes 252 pages.

A.7. 307 / 40 Rendered aid and social care under the Jews in the USSR, August 1943. Described by Zygmunt Sroczyński There is a publication in English in the file: “Report on the Relief accorded to Polish citizens by the Polish Embassy in the USSR with special references to Polish Citizens of Jewish Nationality, Sept. 1941 – April 1943”. The file includes 168 + 24 pages

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